Who hates who?

Matthew 5.44,45 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The bible tells us that those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. How are we as followers of Jesus Christ to respond to such treatment? We are to love them, bless them, do good to them and pray for them. Why? Because Our Father in heaven pours out His common grace and blessing upon all of His creation.

But here is what we must understand. Jesus does not say that must agree with them when they reject the truth, as it is found in Scripture. When a bible believing Christian simply declares a truth of God that goes against the accepted “moral” standard of the day, they are immediately labelled as haters. Little do they know that Jesus foretold this kind of reaction from the world and why they would react in such a way.

John 15.18,19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1 John 3.13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Do not be surprised when the world hates you because you stand on the truth of Scripture. They hated Jesus for the same reason. Darkness hates light. Salt stings an infection when applied to it. We were at one time such haters as well.

Titus 3.3-6 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

The real issue in all of these hot button subjects of the day is the need to preach the gospel. Arguing and debating biblical truth with the lost on any given topic may make a point, and is at times necessary. But at the end of the day, only the truth of the gospel can save a soul and change a person’s worldview. Speaking the truth in love is far from being a hater. It is being hated as a consequence of being obedient to Jesus.